A Civil Action

This book is a depressing lesson in the ways that our judicial system don't work. An adverserial system of justice, by its very nature, leads not to an inquiry into the truth but instead to a polarized system where each side is fighting for its own side and disinterested in the merits of its opposition.While this book was, in many ways, a real downer, it was also a fascinating chronicle of litigation. I was immediately drawn... Read Full Review

There is something very curious about this case. Consider the plight of a man who was a small child when this epidemic first drew public notice:The child was treated out of state and lived in a hospital bed for over 2 years straight with no visitors,no known family and no definitive diagnosis until just before release. One of the procedures performed was the same as a bone marrow transplant and other tests performed also pointed... Read Full Review

Jan Schlictmann has paid a personal and professional price in this case as has Ken Grant, a former safety/environmental man for Grace Co. Since this book came out, Grant has been blackballed from employment in Massachusetts and eventually forced into bankruptcy and homelessness. Grant was orphaned and raised in state care and later became active in many volunteer organizations in Massachusetts. When this book came out he was... Read Full Review

I know a person who worked for Grace Corp.,one of its defense subsidiaries in Woburn, who was told they had been extensively investigated by the Justice Dept and FBI to work there.When this person requested their record with these agencies, both branches refused to provide copies or access to it.This person was forced to sign an agreement with the U.S. government not to file bankruptcy in the future or lose the job and all... Read Full Review

WR Grace hailed TIAA-CREF,the academic world's largest private pension fund and a majority shareholder in Grace. On the board were also Alan Fiers of the CIA and Zbignew Brezinski, former NSA chief as well as Peter Lynch of Fidelity Investments. Jan Schlictmann has lost most if not all of any proceeds from this case to Cadle Co. after the Boston Trade Bank failed.Grace is/was a company very politically connected who hired... Read Full Review